DRAUG

Two beings of emence power meet each other separated in time and space by a fissure between them separating the physical from the spiritual world.

Neither leaves it’s domain for the other, the Spirit, Phosphorus not willing to bring its physical self anywhere near the black serpent though It can’t directly do much to the Draug from the spirit side of the fissure.

There is a pressure between the beings even though they are separated in dimension.

‘’I hear you have a problem with me.’’ Phosphorus speaks.

‘’That is true.’’

‘’I see you think you can do whatever you want here.’’

‘’That is also true,’’ Draug conveys with bite.

‘’Smart guy are we, I’m facing you now as a courtesy. Don’t overestimate youreslf.’’

‘’I am the Draug, my estimates of Self are accurate.’’

[Mhmm], ‘’a body for a body.’’ Phosphorus points.

‘’A body delivered for a body delivered,’’ the Draug agrees. ‘’But-‘’

‘’But nothing,’’ the darkness within the Draug’s domain speaks, exerting it’s presence upon the Draug in ambush surprising the serpent that thought itself prepared.

Eyes that drink in all light open gazing heavily upon the cave’s darkness, the previously lonesome cave of Draug now filled with a new spiritual presence in it's vast entirety. A heavy spiritual presence of two eyes that drink in the darkness gazes and sees all in the Draug's domain. Black-holes for eyes drink everything in, deepening the darkess as all traces of illumination are sucked into the horizon of the Draugs Eyes of Darkness. The spiritual presence only gets stronger from Draugs Eyes of Darkness, the darkness whirling like living smoke even as matter shifts from the pressure exerted by the Draug’s gaze upon it’s domain.

The new arrival shrouded in personified darkness laughs a laugh of cruel joy that tinkles, cackles, chimes pleasantly as the darkness thickens then congeals into a woman of astounding beauty made completely of black. A silhouette, a womanly figure that gets clearer the more the Draught exerts the darkness within him outward stands in his space.

‘’Ah, so filial to your element you are.’’ Though standing over a kilometre away in the Draug’s chamber the woman caresses Draug’s cheek lovingly without moving from where she stands. ‘’This is truly an impressively dark chamber you have here, I’m very pleased.’’

The Spirit Phosphorus tries to hide his pleasure but is clearly pleased by the Draug's predicament with the new arrival.

The Draug stops exerting the dark, his darkess only feeding the creature and the increasing heat threatening to melt the stone before the creature itself even reacts. This is an elemental creature not a physical one the Draug realises slowly decreasing the physicallity of the heat while hiking its spirituality.

‘’The great Phosphorus brings a friend to our exchange, pitiful,’’ Draug distracts while creating a rune complex that will disrupt elemental essence in the weeping stone about him.

Phosphorus having been forcing the fissure between them completely into his hands speaks. ‘’A body for a body and my debt is paid,’’ the fissure between them morphes changing location showing desert landscape broken by a mound of fauna like a protruding spear.

A mega-mountain of stone overgrown with grass, trees, shrubs growing on it has all sorts of dangerous creatures vying for their own piece of it to call their own. The fissure distorts opening into another location.

A sand dune in an endless desert stands higher than any other, a fragment of celestial material buried within now acts as the core for a sand elemental growing rapidly in power. The fissure between them distorts changing location.

Female nymphs, draids and nature spirits of various kinds stronger than any the Draug has ever come across protect and feed themselves on a large shard of celestial material within a lake surrounded by warriors, cultivators and defensive formations. The defences activate as they feel the Draug’s gaze on them, an explosive spell boils the water around killing the nymphs and everything around.

The Draug catches the explosion on a upraised dragon arm that rattles from the strength of the impact.

Clearity returns, the Draug grabs the shard of material now remaining where the lake used to be as large as a house depositing it into its vault without ceremony. ‘’These are pieces of a body you keep showing to me, peices already claimed by others.’’

‘’I also was given a body already claimed by another,’’ the Spirit is smug after using the paranoid cultivators to attack the Draug without breaking oaths. Pleased by the minor inconveniences It/he causes the disrespectful serpent. ‘’These are the shattered remains of a dead god’s physical manifestation, there is no greater prize in the mortal world of Gaia, my debt to Sachihiro is paid.’’

‘’No. I see the pieces of a broken sun you’ve shown me, but where is the spirit-body of the fallen sun? A body for a body, we want both the physical and the spirit-body manifestation.’’

"You are mad! Things of the spiritual have no concern to a mortal like Sachihiro."

"I decide what my concerns my herald,"

The connection is strained as the spirits displeasure blazes the world around it.

"Even if I could find that things spirit-body, what would you do with it greedy serpent? A thing like that would attract too much attention for a mortal to handle nor would you be able to protect it for him... unless you keep it all to yourself and give him none to keep!"

‘’Greedy serpent,’’ the woman of darkness says mischiously, by-passing all the Draug’s defensive spells activating where she should be. A gravity tornado, a split screen, a vortex of scatting air, a breath of sub-zero cold all bypassed by the skipping woman who hugs the Draug’s humanoid form intimately.

The heat around the Draug creates a haze that pushes some of the darkness off him but darkness is his element, he can’t banish it wholely without locking a part of himself away. Ill advised at this crucial part of these negotioation.

Phosphorus watches the serpent and spirit of darkness interact with a growing concern they may join forces.

‘’I refuse. The physical body of a fallen celestial being is more than enough compensation for the much weaker flesh body that I received!’’ the Spirit Phosporus is incessed but acting cool as much as it can under the gaze of the elder diety that insinuated itself in this situation.

‘’It is not just a body that was promised but wealth beyond imagining. My... client is a sorcerer, for him there is no greater wealth than wealth of spirit.’’

‘’You greedy little serpent! Twising words about will not be enough to swindle blood from me, leech!’’

I've already tasted your blood, the Draug grins mischievously communicating with aura but the Spirit not physically present feels no aura.

Okay, how about this to get a rise.

The spiritual bond of bargain between Sachiro and Phosphorus blooms in the dragon’s palm like a chain, ‘’let us see if your posturing is enough to satisfy your promises.’’

*

SACHIHIRO

Daewon grabs my wrist in a surprisingly firm grip, a living vine twists from his hand wrapping around my forearm tightly to suddenly burst with hooking thorns sucking at my blood.

Suddenly I see/hear/experience a different reality.

The world capsides with the sky twisting the ground capsizing to the detriment of the world, wrongness in natural laws enters infecting everything to rigidity. Suddenly there is madness and it is rewarded, suddenly men think of themselves as the wind and nature deems it so even as said wind scortches flesh from bones. Even though this wind cuts bone and senew in it’s ferocirty is like no natural wind ever has.

A madman asserts himself as rothing death and the world deems it so. Suddenly the Tundra pulses in rothing death that infects the world with its reality shifting madness. Suddenly Territories ripe with life pulsating with rothing death as Ancients and Acestors alike combine their might in vain against the onslaught of a twisting reality.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

The might of Sandoria moves and the world shakes from the conflict. Forests bloom spontaiously into being without consideration of life and beings, forests explode into clouds of manna rich splitters as the off-worlders shrug them off. Mountains rise to entomb an invader but are blown apart adding hot raining rocks to the chaos of reality; sinkholes, ripping deforestation, a city is blown apart.

‘’What the fuck,’’ I pull back ripping the thorns from my arm. Daewon convulves again, I rip the cloak off him to reveal pulsing abominable boils ready to burst all across his torso. ‘’What the fuck Dee!?’’

He sighs settling down.

‘’They came out of nowhere, we had no counter to them, monsterious beings. They ran over everything with unfathomable power, all our carefully laid plans... Us at the Dawn weren’t even directly hit but...’’ his face contorts with pain as he grabs onto a root draped around him.

He holds up an arm stopping who I now know to be Volvox from getting any closer, Daewon looks nothing like I remember. Neither of them look like I remember but I'd know Daewon anywhere.

A wolf hops forward from the darkness of the cave. ‘’The dungeon master is going through an evolution Sachi my boy. Leave him be,’’ the wolf sends, the ground quakes debries fall on our heads. The cave is unstable.

I look at the wolf, at my suffering brother gritting his teeth and the sword weilding Volvox siddling closer from the water.

This place is crumbling, everything is crumbling and we don’t have much time by the look of things. ‘’Dee I’m getting you out of here,’’ I say lifting but unable to budge him even with my strength aura-amplified.

I’m causing him more pain, I let go panic starting to make me frantic. ‘’Dee, we have limited time and I have a way out of here. A way to ma and da.’’

‘’Come, share your means of escape, we can still save some while the dungeon lord evolves,’’ the wolf says hopping forward to gaze at me from up close eye to eye.

‘’Old man Gorr,’’ I recognise the hermit through the eyes of the wolf.

Connecting a portal sigil I form on my palm with the sigil on the necklace I gave ma I pull the necklace through the portal, it appear on my hand. ‘’Take this to the survivors, it will open a portal to safety.’’

I drape the chain around the wolf's neck. I need to get more of these made.

‘’Go,’’ Daewon crocks and the wolf dashes off.

‘’What happened? What’s happening here?’’

The response doesn’t come from my brother. ‘’The Omegians came, the Bantu-jin of Moya. Everything happened quickly, too quickly for anyone to figure what was going on. The ground started breaking apart in places, earthquakes and blizzards and spontenious combustion or sprouting of entire forests in an instant of madness.

An explosion in the sky turned night into day to reveal mountains standing on their feeting fighting like men, fleeing or crumblingling,’’ the leather wearing dirt crusted difficult to see Volvox says sheathing his sword getting closer still.

‘’You’re shitting me. He’s shitting me right?’’ Fighting mountains with feet? What?

‘’We shits you not. You remember that mountain that was close to our village, The First Titan it was called for being the closest mountain from the village.’’

‘’Tethys The First Titan.’’

"Yes," Darwin says with a rye smile before his eyes loose focus as he looks at me but doesn't see me.

‘’I saw him, Tethys. Standing upright on two legs fighting; so tall he filled up the sky he was. So large his every step shook the ground for miles. I heard his roar rattle the sky and I saw him swatted away by a Bantu-jin no bigger than we are, like he was nothing.’’ Daewon shakes hs head in hopeless humour focusing on me properly again. "A living breathing Titan Sachi, as large as a mountain with shoulders so far into the sky they were snowcapped. Defeated easily," he grits his teeth as pain grips him.

I nod in understanding, feeling his rye despair at everything he witnessed. ‘’You saw overwhelming power, all the more reason to get the fuck out of here as quickly as possible.’’

Daewon shakes his head even as the pain makes him greet his teeth, ‘’the dungeon needs this duty of me. I need to go through this if I’ll be any good aganst these opponents.’’

The world shakes, the ceiling crumbles, there is a cave in somewhere beyond my sight that crashes loudly blowing dust into the chamber. Giant roots keeping this section stable crack and snap before quiet returns again.

‘’Fuck the dungeon I’m getting you out of here.’’ Again I try to move him but can’t, what the fuck? Summoning a javelin I crank it under him and pull, the javelin snaps to splinters eliciting a shuddering giggle from my brother.

‘’Glad you find this amusing.’’ Everything crumbling around us, reality itself is crumbling around us and this motherfucker is having fun making me watch him die.

A shield I try to use as a lever doesn’t get me much further. I have a mirror on me, I could open it and drop it on him. Deposit him directly into the Library maybe. As I summon it Daewon grabs my arm again electrocuting me to stiffness, ‘’this is power Sachi. Do not steal this opportunity from me!’’

A portal of darkness opens silently right behind me blooming within my awareness, ‘’fuck!’’

I throw my hand forward projecting my palm activating the mirror even as I’m sucked into the Draug’s presence.

*

‘’Fuck! I’m extremely busy right now!’’

I don’t care, an immense irresistible pervasive aura conveys as my own aura is extinguished, purple flames strong with intimidating musk of the Draug burst into being as the Draug's aura lays heavily upon me stopping my bodily functions. I take a breath, adjusting, my senses giving information in a very different flavour than I'm used to.

I take a breath, grateful that I can in the palm of the draug.

I’m hungry for the life-blood of a challenger, any worthy challenger; sexually aroused by my own existence and the power I exude with my presence.

I take a breathe stifling the influence of the Draug’s presence sitting heavily across my shoulders. Suppressing the instincts insinuating themselves on top of my own.

‘’Go to every power, principality, authority, territory lord, peoples and rulers within the Dark Continent. Tell them I come to claim all as mine, tell them I do this useless rock the honour of making it the footstool from which I ascend.’’

With the gease of command in me and the presence of the Draug on me I travel far quickly. Untouchable while on my holy mission by any lessor creature as I spread word, "the Draug is coming to claim the Dark Continent!" My voice enhanced by the presence of the Draug spreads to the whole settlement all at once and I move.

I go, disappearing through the Draug’s own power to appear before the entrance to the Library. Compelled by the need for expediency and an urge within me to do as commanded I shout without even bothering to go inside, ‘’the Draug is coming!’’ They already know exactly who I’m talking about.

I appear before a battlefield in the darkness of the Underworld busy with the dead and dying scattered about, the sweet sour stench of death tickles my bloodlust but no opponent arouses my attention from those I see scattered about.

‘’The Draug is coming,’’ I shout walking amongst the dead. ‘’the Draug is coming!’’ Those that can make way as I pass unchallenged, humanoid all but not one human amongst them.

"The Draug is coming!"

I appear on the surface at a hill overlooking hundreds of mounds I immediately know to be occupied by people, ‘’the draug is coming!’’ I shout as I run headlong down the hill, the Draug’s presence on me scattering any that try to bar my path.

I appear before smoke and shadow personified, black smoke that clouds everything all around alive with a multitude of 4th Tier presences hidden within its mists, ‘’the draug comes!’’ I walk amongst being of black smoke baring their fangs and claws eager to tear me apart yet none daring to, ‘’the Draug is coming!’’

I go overland, in the Underworld, into vast rivers, into giant seas, ancient rivers, to mountain settlements and hidden kingdoms of dark affinity creatures. Place to place across the vast landscape of the Dark Continent I cry out the coming of the Draug like a madman.

I rush as much as I can, ignoring those that try to approach to speak when the warriors give way before the aura bellowing from me. I have no time to explain things to you, ‘’the Draug is coming!’’ I cry before being transported elsewhere to deliver the same message with urgency, ‘’the Draug is coming!’’

‘’The Draug comes!’’

"The Draug is coming!"

The Dark Contintent is vast, even porting from place to place it takes hours. Even with so few being worthy of the draug’s warning it takes hours reach all and convey the warning. Even the invaders from Omegan portals pause in their gleefull conquest to take heed of my passing amongst them, ‘’the Draug is coming!’’ I call walking amongst bloody battlefields and blooming territories.

"The Draug is coming!"

It takes hours but as suddently as the presence was upon me like a blown candle it’s extinguished. I slump in exhaustion trying and failing to catch my breath, breathe Sachi, breathe.

I down a stamina potion leaving my tongue numb, look within myself for the thread to my brother. There, I establish a connection between my spirit and this familial spirit that transcends time and space. Concentrating, pulling energy from my spirit-body ### I open a sigil that brings me within my spirit-body in the inexpicable realm of spirit then transfer myself across the distance of the thread to the other spirit before opening a sigil to the physical realm.

‘’Huh, Sachihiro how are you here?’’ A bewildered Sirgur asks lowering his sword and shield.

I look around, some familiar faces some not so much. All trying to shelter from the phenomenon sapping them of life under a tarp with runes being eroded even as they are being drawn by a fae I vaguely recognise. ‘’rescue mission, come.’’ Fuck I thought this was Daewon.

I draw a big sigil on the floor quickly pushing people about, with my awareness cataloging people connecting the circle it to the one semi-permantly drawn on the Isle, ‘’go!’’ I say even as I push and people rush through.

‘’Why am I not surprised you’re saving our asses?’’ A haggard looking Victor van Stomm son of Chief storm that left Paradisum with the Horde says clasping my shoulder before he goes through.

Internally I try and fail to find a connection to Deawon, ‘’Dee.’’

‘’Ahhh!’’ 3rd Tier beigs start dying with everthing else being sucked by the grand working, I help a few others through before I start feeling the effects getting hard even for me to resist.

*

I am the Draug, I go where I please I take what I want.

I am the Draug, no place is bared to me.

I am the Draug and I claim this place as mine.

The entire Dark Continent and it’s inhabitants feel a mighty pull that retches the weak willed to their knees.

The Shinthec Mountain Range trembles and roars in protest, the Sky Towers of the Sukhoi Su crumble and fall. The Spirits of the Dark resist, the skies open their maws to the blistering Solar Sanctuary unleashing the healthy fury of a thousand suns scorching through to the depths of Gaia until the Spirits of the Dark are no more. The Dark Continent trembles as the Draug brings furious light blasting a canyon 10 000km across the land to mark were once there was resistance to his claim.

‘’My Gates,’’ the Darug flexes. Closing every interstitial teleportation gate on the landmass as he exerts his claim on the entire supercontinent.

THIS TERRITORY IS MINE.

Mountains that resist are melted in hot darkness, elements that resist find themselves banished under planar spells that throw burning sulphur on them from the sky that leave scares of changed nature in the land.

There are many that try to resist him and many that die to the last spawn as territorial defences exhaust themselves, kingdoms releasing their Last Stand Great Workings, great slumbering deities exerting themselves against the Draug in futile resistance.

I am the Draug, hear me roar.

The Draug unfurls itself.

Most surrender to the undeniable might of a greater being.